Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-29
EMPRESS COMPANIES.
The lnterssatc Commerce. COmsnission
Decide that Independent Companies
are not Subject to the Act.

L
Decide that Independent Companies
are not subject to the Act.
The Interstate Commerce Commission has rem
dered decision upon the question whether the ex-
press companies are subject to the provisions OF
the act TO regulate commerce. The opinion by
| commissioner Walker begins by stating fully the
relations sustained by the express companies to
the subject OF Interstate commerce. 1t says that
there is nothing In tue nature OF express busine
which prevents fits being carried on by ordina ~
partnership, or even by an individual, provided
the necessary contracts can be obtained with
transportation lines The most usual contract Is
one which pays TO the railroad company 40 per
cent OF the gross receipts OF the express company
but various other methods OF settlement are en-
ployed. The arguments urged by the express COM
Panies against then being treated as subject TO
they contain many other services besides trans
portation Of property, such as the collection OF
debts, &C, Is not regarded as reason why the
act should not be treated applying TO their bus
iness as common carriers, since many railroad
companies also have other business besides that OF
transportation. The claim that the act should be
construed as penal statute Is not adopted that
statute being regarded as highly remedial The
various sections OF the act are considered with
relation to the express business and are found to
be In theory as applicable thereto as the business
OF railroad companies. In fact, the express com
panieS claim that they already abide by the rules
established In the act.
The difficulty OF framing schedules for the in
than In the case OF railroad companies which have
compiled with the act. Three express companies
have 50 compiled, and their schedules placed on
nle. The agents Of all express companies are ne
cessariiy instructed as to the charges TO be made
and Tue pubic Is equally intelligent. The bring
the act Is found 20 Be practcabie and, on some ac
counts desirable. The express companies which
are simply branches OF railroad, organized and
operating through Its ordinary staff, or by an in
dependent bureau, or by combination with other
railroad companies, are found TO be covered by the
provisions OF the act. In the case OF the indie
pendentiy organized express companies, however,
operating under con ractS for transportation the
language or the act as IL now stands is found 10
be so framed as not TO bring them distinctly within
It's PROVISIONS. The words, "wholiy by railroad"
IN the lrst section, do not well define the business
or express companies, which use very largely the
steamboats,. The pooling section applies to the
pooling OF the business railroads. other sections
speak OF railroads continually and OF depotS AMI
stations, the language not being applicable 10 the
business OF express Companies, except under a
somewhat strained construction. The express
pushes; was well known at the time Of the pas
TONED by name in Congressional statutes. The
omission 70 name IL here is significant. The pre-
hminary investigation by the Interstate commerce
committee or the senate did not include the bust
ness or express companies, and was confined al
most wholly TO that Of railroad companies. Upon
all these considerations the commission mas
Thought best to refer the subject to Congress. as
In am case OF doubtful Jurisdiction II Is FAR better
that the legislative body should solve tine doubt.
a Skiilfui Engraver.
MR. l. ,. HATCH RESIGNS FROM THE BUREAU OF EN-
CRAVING AND PRISTING-HIs RBNARKABLE Ca
REER.
Mr.. Lorenzo j. Hatch has resigned his position
as engraver in the Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing and started last night for Chicago.
He has been engaged by the Western Bank
note CO., OF Chicago, at high salary. The
Bureau Will lose bright genius and one of
la try fc
an interesting one His father was man OF talent,
employed Tor many years in Vermont and other
parts or New England In designing monuments,
vaults and other work in marble and granite. His
death was unexpected, and little else than their
nome was left 10 his widow and her three children,
the eldest OF whom was the boy Lorenzo At If
teen he was
APPRESTICEp TO JEwELER
In the small town OF salem, N. Y, not far from
the Vermont home Of his mother Mr. George b.
McCartee, then chief OF the bureau, was visiting
In the place, and his attention was attracted by
small copper-p plate engraving in the possession OF
friend. The engraving was a COPY OF a portrait of
Washington then in use on the % cent fractional
currency notes, and was so finely executed that
Mr. McCartee was strong in the belief that he mad
unexpectedly come upon skillful cOunterfeiter.
when the jewelers. apprentice Was introduced to
him as the one who had engraved the plate Mr..
McCartee could not believe II, and 1t was not until
| he had been shown other specimens OF the boys
remarkable talent as portrait engraver that he
believed the statement. Mr.. McCartee al once ex-
pressed desire to have the lad come TO Washing
ton, where In the bureau, under the training and
advice OF the artists in It's employ, the talent OF
tnls New England genius could be fully devel-
oped. When he Came he was assigned TO an en-
graver's tabe-the first apprentice ever employed
In the division.
HIS WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
His compensation was at first merely nominal
One OF his early tasks was to make reduced copy
OF portrait OF Bryant which Charles Burt had
then recently engraved for memorial volume of
the poets works, and for which he had been paid
very large sum- IL was one OF Burt'S best efforts
ana no inner specimen OF the enyraver's art could
nave been found as a "copy." Young Hatch sue
ceeded In producing portrait OF Bryant that for
artistic skill amazed every one. Mr. Burt who
lived In Brooklyn, and rarely came to Washington
was dispensed when first shown the picture but
Wnen ne met the young engraver his diSpleasure
Was lost In his establishment
FROM that time, about ten years ago Young
iatch mas remained IN the Bureau, and every wear
mas brought with 1t for him new achievements and
increased compensation Recent specimens OF his
WORK are portraits Of CARRIED on the new a ma
tlonal Currency note and OF Grant on the e Silver
ceTtncate ana showing his versatility OF talent
ne designed and engraved tine 'ptcture-workn OF
the back OF the 50 5 liver certificate a, well as
other work OF siInilar character Oh notes lately
ISSUED Oy The Treasury Mr.. Hatch has developed
MS talent Tor sketehing in water coors, and has
PofIIouo Oh sketches tnat are the admiration OF a
large circle OF friends In the Art Students League
OF this city he has been one OF it's most active
MEMBERS and he VIII be greatly missed.